In April, the European Parliament called for a ban on all private uses of glyphosate, as well as spraying around public parks and playgrounds. It also opposed glyphosate spraying just ahead of harvesting, and called for the immediate disclosure of all scientific evidence used by the European Food Safety Authority to back up its claim that glyphosate is unlikely to cause harm.

French environment minister Segolene Royal has said on Twitter that France will not change its mind on glyphosate and will not vote in support of the Commission’s new proposal to allow the weedkiller a time-limited extension.

Germany’s environment ministry has also confirmed on Twitter that it will not deviate from its opposition to glyphosate’s re-approval: “It’s still no”.

Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterberg said: “It’s good to see that the Commission is no longer pushing for a final decision based on questionable safety assurances by the EU food safety agency. But whether the licence is for 15, nine or two years doesn’t change anything in the real world. The same amount of glyphosate will be sprayed in parks, playgrounds and private gardens, and in our fields, vineyards and apple groves. Glyphosate levels in our bodies won’t change either. The Commission must take on board the concerns raised by independent scientists, the European Parliament and citizens by – at the very least – applying strict restrictions to limit human exposure.”